Draperies and the like



. Feb.4,1947. c, BASHM' ER 2,415,330

DRAPERIES AND THE LIKE Filed June- 19, 1945 INVENTOR ATTORNEY PatentedFeb. 4, 1947 UNITED STATES ZAltfiEd 13 Claims.

The present invention relates to draperies and the like and moreparticularly to devices made of cardboard or other sheet materialadapted to serve as draperies.

Modern homes require draperies for windows which are generally made ofcloth, in many cases expensive cloth. The material collects dust,becomes very dirty and has to be cleaned frequently. Generally drycleanings are required as the material does not lend itself tolaundering. In addition, the removal of the draperies for cleaning andreplacin them is difiicult work requiring step ladders, chairs and thelike which often results in accidents. The average housewife prefers notto do this kind of work which results in the task being assigned to thehusband. Further, the cost and trouble of cleaning such draperies isquite substantial and limits the extent of their use.

The present invention aims to overcom the above difficulties byproviding inexpensive draperies which may be quickly installed andreadily cleaned without removal. More particularly the inventioncontemplates improved ornamental draperies made from cardboard orsimilar material which may be lithographed to give an attractiveappearance and such decoration as may be desired. The smooth surfaceminimizes adherence of dust and facilitates removal of it. In unusualcases the surfaces may be washed without removal of the draperies fromthe windows. Another advantage is the provision of a collapsibleconstruction which may be shipped and transported in knocked down formand quickly set up. This minimizes storage space where the draperies aretaken down during a certain period 1 of the year. The cost of theconstruction is low and if desired the draperies may be removed andreplaced with new ones from time to time, giving a different appearanceto the room and a different decoration. The cost of additional oneswould in many cases be less than the cost of cleaning expensivedraperies.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improvedconstruction of inexpensive draperies.

Another object of the invention is to provide inexpensive draperiesformed of cardboard or similar material which may be collapsed duringshipment and set up with a minimum of trouble and with a minimum ofinstructions.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the costof draperies and tosimplify the installation thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure easily madeout of standard cardboard and to simulate the desired ornament of adoorway or window.

Another object of the invention is to provide draperies which areparticularly useful in summer cottages, play rooms and the like.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon anunderstanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, orwill be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages notreferred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employmentof the invention in practice.

Fig. 1 shows one form of cardboard framework embodying the invention,parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the same on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of one end of the device folded.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the same end partly unfolded.

In the form illustrated in some detail the cardboard device simulatesdraperies, which for clearness are shown unpainted and uncolored, butout at it to resemble vertical drapery curtain edges, and cut at l I tosimulate a front wall or an overhanging valance.

The hangin front i2 which forms the valance may be regarded as bent downalong a fold 13 from a sheet which forms a horizontal top web it, sothat the top web it stiifens the front I2 along its whol length.

The curtains l5 which are shown cut at their edges it, are shown as heldto the underside of the top web it by turned over flaps I6 glued formost of their length to the underside of the top web it, so that thecurtains l5 lie clear of the valance l2 and perhaps an inch behind it,with the flaps It extending to the rear edge ll of the top web it.

In the form illustrated, the curtains it are the continuations ofrearwardly extending Vertical sheets l8 forming side walls so that theangles is where the sheets 98 bend to form the curtains l5 stiffen thewhole structure.

In the form shown the flaps It extend beyond the top web M- in the formof tabs 20 which are bent down at the angles l9 and cemented to theinsides of the vertical sheets 18 so as to hold the sheets it at rightangles to the curtains I! along the angles it.

To permit the sheets It to be bent back or forward, the tabs 20 are leftuncemented to the top fold I3, compelling web I4 from their back cornersto a diagonal line 2| beginning at their outer front ends 22, and arecemented firmly to the web I4 elsewhere. Thus they fold along the lines2! to serve as hinged members.

In the form shown the sheets I5 are socut as to provide tabs 23concealed completely behind the valance I 2 and, of such breadth thatthey lie against the back of the Valance 52 when the sheets are foldedback along the angle l9, thus steadying the valance I2. To attain thisend the tabs 23 are cut at 24 considerably short of the bottom I l ofthe valance I2.

In addition the curtain sheets I5, where concealed by the valance I2,are shown as so cut as to be bendable into a web-stiffened box girder.To attain this end, the curtain sheets l5 are shown as cut horizontallyalong a long line 25, and Ver-' tically therefrom at each end 25 to forma wide tongue 21 which is bent back and then bent downwardly along aline 28 to form a tab 28, which is shown cemented to the back of thevalance I 2, forming a parallel motion device with the front the valanceI2 and curtain I5 to keep parallel to each other. 7

The tongue 27 may be stiifened in place by wings an out largely from thetab 29, butpartly from the body of the curtain I5, so that the widenededges 3i of the turned against the edge 25 from which out.

In the form shown the long top web I4 is stiffened by a narrow cardboardstrip 33 cemented along the back edge I? of its underside, and, thehanging valance face I2 is shown a little longer than the top I4 so thatit extends: at least a fracthe tongue 21 was up Wings 38 bear to steadyall the parts, with the valance standing well in front of the curtainsand steadied both by the concealed wings and concealed tabs 23. Whenheld by its top web I 4, the structure is selfsupporting and yet lightenough to be set by one hand over the cornice of a doorway, for example.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangementof the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to beunderstood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. A foldable cardboardframework including a lengthwise web, a front wall hingedly connected jto said'web to hang in front of it, a second wall hinged to the webalong a line parallel to said tion of an inch beyond the bent backsheets I8,

thus giving the basis for an ornamental finish to the structure.

When the curtains I5 are intended to simulate real curtains they maycarry glued on diagonal strips 35 simulating a real tieback for holdingback the curtain.

The structure is easily built up by first laying down (see Fig. 4) acardboard I2, gluing along its straight top edge a narrow strip 33 ofthe cardboard. On top of these is glued, from the top to the fold line36,

tab 20, bendable along ending at the fold line 36.

The tongue 2'! may then be bent at right angles the side sheets I8, thusraising the curtains I5 as they swing on the tongue 21, until the tabs23 may be sprung or swung behind the valance I2. The WingsBB are thenbent up so their edges 3| engage the edge 25 (see Fig. 3) and hold theparts in place.

It will be noted that the edges of the wings 3!] lie against the back ofthe valance, thus helping suitably cut sheet of heavy wings 39 free tobend at right angles ,to the tongue 2?. The curtain I 5 is then hingeconnection, and a separate tongue connected to the walls and adapted toretain them in parallel positions.

2. A foldable cardboard framework including a lengthwise web, a frontwall hingedly connected to said web to hang in front of it, a'secondwall hinged to the web along a line parallel to said hinge connection, aseparate tongue connected to the walls and adapted to retain them inparallel position and a wing swingable on the tongue to hold the wallsspaced.

3. A foldable cardboard framework, including a top web, a front wallfoldable to hang normally downwardly therefrom, a side sheet foldableback from the front wall, and a member extending upward from the bentback sid sheet and bent over and partly cemented to the web.

4. A foldable cardboard framework, including a top web, a front wallfoldable to hang normally downwardly therefrom, a side sheet foldableback from the front wall, and a member extending upward from the bentback side sheet and bent over and cemented to the web up to a diagonalfold line, said sheet being foldable at said line against the wall.

5. A foldable cardboard framework, including a top web and dependingfront and back walls hinged thereto, a cut out tongue on one of thewalls bent over to lie parallel to the top web and having a further bentportion cemented to the other wall, and a wing cut in part from thetongue and having an extension cut out of a further portion of the walland foldable to lie against the edge of the cut to hold the Walls apart.

6. A foldable cardboard framework including a top web, a front wallfoldable to hang downwardly therefrom, a back wall foldable to hangdownwardly therefrom, a wing 0n the back wall foldable backwardly, and asheet formed as an extension of the back wall swung forwardly as thewing folds backwardly and adapted when so swung to lie against the backof the front wall.

7. In a foldable cardboard frame, a cardboard sheet forming a top web, afront wall bent down from the top web, a back wall hinged to the bottomof the top web, a tongue hinged to the walls to constrain them to moveparallel to each other, and side walls hinged to the top web and to theback wall. 7

8. In a foldable cardboard frame, a cardboard sheet forming a top web, afront wall bent down from the top web, a back wall hinged to the bottomof the top web, a tongue hinged to the walls to cause them to moveparallel to each other, side walls hinged to the top web and to the backwall, and wings cut from the tongues adapted to be bent to engage cutedges to hold the frame open.

9. In a foldable cardboard frame, a cardboard sheet forming a top web, afront wall bent down from the top web, a back wall hinged to the bottomof the top web, a tongue hinged to the walls to cause them to moveparallel to each other, side walls hinged to the top web and to the backwall, and extensions of the side Walls that swing forward against thefront walls as the side walls swing back.

10. A cardboard structure including a top web, a strengthening stripalong one edge of the web, a front wall bent down from the opposite edgeof the web, a rear wall cemented to the underside of the web and bentdown bent from the rear wall, and an extension of the side wall bent tounderlie the web and cemented thereto up to a diagonal line and hingedlyfoldable along said line.

11. In a cardboard structure adapted to lie flat, a top web, a frontwall to which the web is hinged, a rear wall hinged to the top web alonganother line, a separate member of the same effective width as thedistance between the hinge lines of the two walls hinged to both wallswhereby they move parallel to each other, and a side wall hinged alongits length to the rear wall, and hinged along a diagonal line to the topweb.

12. In a cardboard structure adapted to lie fiat, a top web, a frontwall to which the web is hinged, a rear wall hinged to the top web alonganother from the web, a side wall- 6 line, a separate member of the sameeffective width as the distance between the hinge lines of the two wallshinged to both walls whereby they move parallel to each other, a sidewall hinged along its length to the rear wall, and hinged along adiagonal line to the top web, and a hinged wing in said separate memberadapted to be swung therefrom and braced against one of the walls tohold the walls apart.

13. In a cardboard structure adapted to lie fiat, a top web, a frontwall to which the web is hinged, a rear wall hinged to the top web alonganother line, a separate member of the same eifective width as thedistance between the hinge lines of the two Walls hinged to both wallswhereby they move parallel to each other, a side wall hinged along itslength to the rear wall, and hinged along a diagonal line to the topweb, and a tab forming part of the side wall adapted to swing forward asthe wall swings back.

CHARLES BASHWINER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Horr r Sept. 28, 1943Number

